Mélange Travel & Lifestyle Magazine October 2017 | Page 575
INTERVIEW with Honourable Cecil McKie Minister of Tourism of St. Vincent & the Grenadines
What is St. Vincent and the Grenadines’ special brand of tourism? St. Vincent and the Grenadines have four (4) main niche markets. They are: SAILING Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is popular with sailors from around the world. The multiplicity of islands and cays (32 of them!) appeals to the wanderlust resident in the heart of seafarers. The idea of island hopping aboard your yacht is more compelling when you consider that the islands are bridged with some of the best sailing waters in the region. The annual Bequia Easter Regatta is a signature sailing event in SVG and takes place around March/April. DIVING SVG is known as the “critter capital” of the Caribbean; a designation attributed to it by the popular Sport Diver Magazine. We are however more than critters, with reefs and wrecks contributing to a diverse underwater wonderland. Capital Wrecks, Bat Cave, Japanese Garden and Layou Wall are irresistible dive sites. The volcanic geology of SVG helps to ensure that the water is clear all year round. ECO-TOURISM From the spectacular Falls of Baleine to the majestic La Soufriere Volcano Hiking Trail and the Tobago Cays Marine Park, Eco- Tourism is as natural to SVG as breast feeding is to a child. Especially on mainland St Vincent, the mountainous topography is crisscrossed with hiking trails through pristine rainforests and there is the St Vincent Botanical Garden easily within reach. It is one of the oldest Botanical Gardens in the Western Hemisphere. Additionally, the many rivers and water falls and the mixture of black and white sand beaches tend to entice nature lovers. ROMANCE/WEDDINGS/HONEYMOONS Romance has always been synonymous with a natural, idyllic environment and there is no better idyllic location for romance than SVG! SVG has three (3) resort islands. A resort island is an island that has nothing but a resort on it. So guests would have these islands all to themselves. Pam Island, Petit St Vincent and Young Island offer such exclusivity ideal for couples. But persons can also opt for the glamour of Mustique or the sophistication of Canouan or the folksy, bare-foot elegance of Bequia for their romantic sojourns. Say “I do”, or renew; say “I love you” on anyone of our islands and cays of 32. While St. Vincent and the Grenadines does provide other types of tourism, these are the four that we push. We are focusing on expanding on the range of offerings on these four (4) existing niche markets to make the destination even more attractive and exciting. What is your vision for SVG’s tourism industry? For many years Tourism has been the Economic driver of most of the countries of the Caribbean. St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is not excluded from this reality. By extension, the Caribbean is known to be one of the most Tourism dependent regions in the world.